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Sauvignon Blanc
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Did it ever truly leave us?
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“There are many vinous hills I am willing to die on. One such hill is Sauvignon Blanc.
I am sure there is a large range of you averting your gaze herein; from young trendy Jurapparatchiks wondering what pills I’m on, to seasoned Burgundy collectors sighing in disgust. Maybe, these self-appointed afficionados are thinking, there are better ways to ruin a fine wine business and reputation than by selling … nay endorsing (!) Sauvignon Blanc.
Fine, their loss. I suggest the rest of us enjoy quality, mineral whites that are not marked up the wazoo and are both practice- and terroir-reflective.
Sunny and humid days demand refreshing white wines. When I am not drinking ‘white claret’ (Bordeaux Blanc Sec), then I am enjoying these wines from the ‘Hills’ and Sancerre. Simple as that.”
— David
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~ please note : discounts are automatically applied at the digital check-out! ~
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“I need to stress that though my above spiel is entertaining, the below wines are serious and thoughtfully crafted.”
— David
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The Adelaide Hills
“Lenswood is very cool. Climate-wise it is similar to the Macedon Ranges, however its many gullies and hills trap frost yet allow for ample sunlight on the upper slopes. This creates ideal conditions, coupled with fertile and rich loam soils over weathered stones, for Sauvignon Blanc which can be fully ripened without seeing undue warmth.”
— David
Geoff Weaver 2024 Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc
(Shelf Price: $39.00)
Offer Price: $29.00
“I should not find myself so surprised that Geoff Weaver’s 2024 Sauvignon Blanc, from his now old vines planted by his father in Lenswood, is so subtle and alluring in the glass. White orchard fruit, jasmine, stem ginger, quinine, and star fruit all are coaxed from the glass with aeration; there is something so alluringly coy about this wine. A wry smile brings out a coquettish peek of Makrut lime leaf, cut herbs, and dew-flecked stones. The palate is round, elegantly flowing, with a soft 2/3 burst of phenolics and fine acidity. Fulsome notes of white peach, further jasmine, and fennel strut their stuff with supporting sideward glances from Key Lime pie and mineral accents. The finish: long and creamy with repeating notes of white stone fruit and talc mingling.
Do I sound smitten?”
— David
“Tip-top release of a regional stalwart. Classic lime and passion fruit characters with faint ginger, vanilla cream and pink grapefruit. Good concentration of flavour, length too, with some fine dusty pucker doing pleasing things. Excellent in its way, elevating a simple wine approach so well.”
97pts & Best Sauvignon Blanc (2026) — Mike Bennie, James Halliday’s Australian Wine Companion
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The Loire Valley
“Sancerre is a great mound of hills that rises from the banks of the Loire, bristling with forest and church steeples, ruptured by lines of exposed chalk, and criss-crossed with vines. It is here that Sauvignon Blanc reaches its apex; warm sunny hillsides are moderated by the influence of the river; and mature vines reach down into beds of chalk, marl, and even Kimmeridgean Limestone. The Reverdy Sancerre below is from this vaunted rock. The vines are 80+ years old.”
— David
Pascal & Nicolas Reverdy 2022 Sancerre 'La Grande Rue'
(Shelf Price: $85.00)
Offer Price: $69.00
“The P & N Reverdy 2022 'La Grande Rue' is charmingly understated in the glass. Notions of crushed herbs, grass clippings, and mineral nuances mingle with discrete orange blossom and evocative citrus touches. Aeration brings hints of crushed citrus leaf, Tahitian lime, and firm white-fleshed orchard fruit. The palate has beautiful precision; there is a sensation akin to sliced fruit as well as a charming mineral austerity here. Pear and tart white peach, crushed herbs, brine presently nicely with plenty of dry extract; further down there palate that gentle and classic Sancerre lightness (along with lime leaf and zests) takes over before the long and mineral inflected close. I challenge anyone who turns there nose up at any Sauvignon Blanc to have a glass of this ... and not have a smile of utter delight on their face.”
— David
“The 2022 Sancerre “la Grand Rue” from Domaine Pascal et Nicolas Reverdy is a beautifully complex and refined example of this outstanding Sancerre vintage. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a mix of lime, tart orange, green apple, complex chalky minerality, gentle grassy notes, white lilies and orange blossoms. On the palate the wine is pure, bright and full-bodied, with a lovely core of fruit, excellent transparency and cut, zesty acids and impeccable balance on the long, complex and very classy finish. This is excellent juice!”
92+pts — John Gilman, View from the Cellar
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“It’s bizarre … we’ve seen aged Rose and Sauvignon Blanc tear through the shop. I am absolutely here for this wild ride.”
— Nick
If you would like any of the above, would like to come by for a private appointment, or just have some questions — please let us know.